Ruby is an agile object-oriented language, borrowing some of the best features from LISP, Smalltalk, Perl, CLU, and other languages. Its popularity has grown tremendously in the five years since the first edition of this book.   The Ruby Way takes a “how-to” approach to Ruby programming with the bulk of the material consisting of more than 400 examples arranged by topic. Each example answers the question “How do I do this in Ruby?” Working along with the author, you are presented with the task description and a discussion of the technical constraints. This is followed by a step-by-step presentation of one good solution. Along the way, the author provides detailed commentary and explanations to aid your understanding.   Coverage includes   •    An overview of Ruby, explaining terminology and basic principles •    Operations on low-level data types (numbers, strings, regular expressions, dates) •    The new regular expression engine (Oniguruma) •    Internationalization (I18N) and message catalogs in Ruby •    Operations on hashes, arrays, and other data structures such as stacks, trees, and graphs •    Working with general I/O, files, and persistent objects •    Database coverage including MySQL, SQLite, Oracle, DBI, and more •    Ruby-specific techniques in OOP and dynamic programming •    Graphical interfaces in Ruby (Tk, GTK+, Fox, and Qt) •    Working with Ruby threads for lightweight multitasking •    Everyday scripting and system administration in Ruby •    Working with image files, PDFs, YAML, XML, RSS, and Atom •    Testing, debugging, profiling, and packaging Ruby code •    Low-level network programming and client-server interaction •    Web development tools including Rails, Nitro, Wee, IOWA, and more •    Working with distributed Ruby, Rinda, and Ring •    Ruby development tools such as IDEs, documentation tools, and more   The source code for the book can be downloaded from www.rubyhacker.com     Hal Fulton has worked for over 15 years with variousforms of Unix, including AIX, Solaris, and Linux. He was first exposed to Ruby in 1999, and in 2001 he began work on the first edition of this book–the second Ruby book published in the English language. He has attendednumerous Ruby conferences and has given presentations at several of those, including the first European Ruby Conference.    He has two degrees in computer science from the University of Mississippi and taught computer science for four years before moving to Austin, Texas to work as a contractor for variouscompanies, including IBM Austin.  Hal currently works at Broadwing Communications in Austin, Texas, maintaining a large data warehouse and related telecom applications, working daily with C++, Oracle, and, of course, Ruby.    

The Rails™ 3 Way is a comprehensive resource that digs into the new features in Rails 3 and perhaps more importantly, the rationale behind them.—Yehuda Katz, Rails Core The Bible for Ruby on Rails Application Development   Ruby on Rails strips complexity from the development process, enabling professional developers to focus on what matters most: delivering business value via clean and maintainable code. The Rails™ 3 Way is the only comprehensive, authoritative guide to delivering production-quality code with Rails 3. Pioneering Rails expert Obie Fernandez and a team of leading experts illuminate the entire Rails 3 API, along with the idioms, design approaches, and libraries that make developing applications with Rails so powerful. Drawing on their unsurpassed experience and track record, they address  the real challenges development teams face, showing how to use Rails 3 to maximize your productivity.   Using numerous detailed code examples, the author systematically covers Rails 3 key capabilities and subsystems, making this book a reference that you will turn to again and again. He presents advanced Rails programming techniques that have been proven effective in day-to-day usage on dozens of production Rails systems and offers important insights into behavior-driven development and production considerations such as scalability. Dive deep into the Rails 3 codebase and discover why Rails is designed the way it is—and how to make it do what you want it to do. This book will help you Learn what’s new in Rails 3 Increase your productivity as a web application developer Realize the overall joy in programming with Rails Leverage Rails’ powerful capabilities for building REST-compliant APIs Drive implementation and protect long-term maintainability using RSpec Design and manipulate your domain layer using Active Record Understand and program complex program flows using Action Controller Master sophisticated URL routing concepts Use Ajax techniques via Rails 3 support for unobtrusive JavaScript Learn to extend Rails with popular gems and plugins, and how to write your own Extend Rails with the best third-party plug-ins and write your own Integrate email services into your applications with Action Mailer Improve application responsiveness with background processing Create your own non-Active Record domain classes using Active Model Master Rails’ utility classes and extensions in Active Support

Electronics Cameras Computers Software Housewares Sports DVDs Music Books Games Toys in titles descriptions Company Info |Checkout Info |Shipping Info |Return Policy |FAQ's Add us as a favorite seller By continuing with your purchase using the eBay Buy It Now button, you agree to the Buy Terms of Use at http://stores.ebay.com/Buys-Internet-Superstore/Terms.html . The Ruby Way - Fulton, Hal Edwin THIS IS A BRAND NEW UNOPENED ITEM. Description Using real, well-written code examples, this book pro

Scholastic's MOST adorable duckling is back!Ruby's brothers and sisters are always racing off in search of adventure. This way, Ruby! they call. But Ruby, who is still the littlest, likes to take things slowly, in her own time. She prefers to look at all the grassy banks, the willow trees, and the dragonflies, which is just as well, for when the ducklings get lost in the storm, it's up to Ruby to find the way back home!This heartwarming picture book gem is perfect for all ages.

Scholastic's MOST adorable duckling is back!Ruby's brothers and sisters are always racing off in search of adventure. This way, Ruby! they call. But Ruby, who is still the littlest, likes to take things slowly, in her own time. She prefers to look at all the grassy banks, the willow trees, and the dragonflies, which is just as well, for when the ducklings get lost in the storm, it's up to Ruby to find the way back home!This heartwarming picture book gem is perfect for all ages.

The expert guide to building Ruby on Rails applications   Ruby on Rails strips complexity from the development process, enabling professional developers to focus on what matters most: delivering business value. Now, for the first time, there’s a comprehensive, authoritative guide to building production-quality software with Rails. Pioneering Rails developer Obie Fernandez and a team of experts illuminate the entire Rails API, along with the Ruby idioms, design approaches, libraries, and plug-ins that make Rails so valuable. Drawing on their unsurpassed experience, they address the real challenges development teams face, showing how to use Rails’ tools and best practices to maximize productivity and build polished applications users will enjoy.   Using detailed code examples, Obie systematically covers Rails’ key capabilities and subsystems. He presents advanced programming techniques, introduces open source libraries that facilitate easy Rails adoption, and offers important insights into testing and production deployment. Dive deep into the Rails codebase together, discovering why Rails behaves as it does– and how to make it behave the way you want it to.   This book will help you Increase your productivity as a web developer Realize the overall joy of programming with Ruby on Rails Learn what’s new in Rails 2.0 Drive design and protect long-term maintainability with TestUnit and RSpec Understand and manage complex program flow in Rails controllers Leverage Rails’ support for designing REST-compliant APIs Master sophisticated Rails routing concepts and techniques Examine and troubleshoot Rails routing Make the most of ActiveRecord object-relational mapping Utilize Ajax within your Rails applications Incorporate logins and authentication into your application Extend Rails with the best third-party plug-ins and write your own Integrate email services into your applications with ActionMailer Choose the right Rails production configurations Streamline deployment with Capistrano    

The expert guide to building Ruby on Rails applications   Ruby on Rails strips complexity from the development process, enabling professional developers to focus on what matters most: delivering business value. Now, for the first time, there’s a comprehensive, authoritative guide to building production-quality software with Rails. Pioneering Rails developer Obie Fernandez and a team of experts illuminate the entire Rails API, along with the Ruby idioms, design approaches, libraries, and plug-ins that make Rails so valuable. Drawing on their unsurpassed experience, they address the real challenges development teams face, showing how to use Rails’ tools and best practices to maximize productivity and build polished applications users will enjoy.   Using detailed code examples, Obie systematically covers Rails’ key capabilities and subsystems. He presents advanced programming techniques, introduces open source libraries that facilitate easy Rails adoption, and offers important insights into testing and production deployment. Dive deep into the Rails codebase together, discovering why Rails behaves as it does– and how to make it behave the way you want it to.   This book will help you Increase your productivity as a web developer Realize the overall joy of programming with Ruby on Rails Learn what’s new in Rails 2.0 Drive design and protect long-term maintainability with TestUnit and RSpec Understand and manage complex program flow in Rails controllers Leverage Rails’ support for designing REST-compliant APIs Master sophisticated Rails routing concepts and techniques Examine and troubleshoot Rails routing Make the most of ActiveRecord object-relational mapping Utilize Ajax within your Rails applications Incorporate logins and authentication into your application Extend Rails with the best third-party plug-ins and write your own Integrate email services into your applications with ActionMailer Choose the right Rails production configurations Streamline deployment with Capistrano    

In The Way It Is, Patrick Sanchez introduces three thirty-something roommates with insatiable appetites for life, love, and anything deep-fried in this delicious, delirious celebration of women whose hearts are as big as their hips… Big Girls Don’t Cry Livin’ large hasn’t gotten Ruby Waters where she wants to be. She’s sure that the only thing standing between her and the good life is that extra weight she can’t seem to shed. And soon, Ruby just might have the courage to go really go for it—it being her hunky coworker with the bod of steel… Fat is where it’s at, honey. That’s plus-sized model Wanda Johnson’s motto. The larger-than-life African-American goddess may top the scales, but there are plenty of men begging for her phone number… Simone Reyes always goes after what she wants—and it’s usually ripped with muscles and under thirty. As the city’s sexiest anchorwoman, glamorous, svelte Simone doesn’t have time for commitment. She’s too busy protecting a secret that could blow the lid off her whole life… In the nation’s capitol, where the drinks are cold and so is the competition, these three roomies are joining forces, battling their way through a maze of Chubby Chaser web sites, scam diet centers, romantic entanglements, power shopping, and plus-size fashion shows…because when life throws you a few curves, it’s best to show them off!

Ruby on Rails is the super-productive new way to develop full-featured web applications. With Ruby on Rails, powerful web applications that once took weeks or months to develop can now be produced in a matter of days. If it sounds too good to be true, it isn't. If you're like a lot of web developers, you've probably considered kicking the tires on Rails - the framework of choice for the new generation of Web 2.0 developers. Ruby on Rails: Up and Running takes you out for a test drive and shows you just how fast Ruby on Rails can go. This compact guide teaches you the basics of installing and using both the Ruby scripting language and the Rails framework for the quick development of web applications. Ruby on Rails: Up and Running covers just about everything you need - from making a simple database-backed application to adding elaborate Ajaxian features and all the juicy bits in between. While Rails is praised for its simplicity and speed of development, there are still a few steps to master on the way. More advanced material helps you map data to an imperfect table, traverse complex relationships, and build custom finders. A section on working with Ajax and REST shows you how to exploit the Rails service frameworks to send emails, implement web services, and create dynamic user-centric web pages. The book also explains the essentials of logging to find performance problems and delves into other performance-optimizing techniques. As new web development frameworks go, Ruby on Rails is the talk of the town. And Ruby on Rails: Up and Running can make sure you're in on the discussion.

Would you like to go from first idea to working code much, much faster? Do you currently spend more time satisfying the compiler instead of your clients or end users? Are you frustrated with demanding languages that seem to get in your way, instead of getting the work done? Are you using Rails, and want to dig deeper into the underlying Ruby language? If so, then we've got a language and book for you! Ruby 1.9 is the latest version of Ruby. It has many compelling features, including multinationalization support, new block scoping, and better performance. At the same time, the current Ruby 1.8 is still being maintained and is widely used. We're therefore releasing both the Ruby 1.9 version of the PickAxe (this book) alongside the 1.8 version of the PickAxe. Readers can choose the book that matches their environment. Ruby is a fully object-oriented language, much like the classic object-oriented language, Smalltalk. Like Smalltalk, it is dynamically typed (as opposed to Java or C++), but unlike Smalltalk, Ruby features the same conveniences found in modern scripting languages, making Ruby a favorite tool of intelligent, forward-thinking programmers and the basis for the Rails web framework. This is the reference manual for Ruby, including a description of all the standard library modules, a complete reference to all built-in classes and modules (including all the new and changed methods introduced by Ruby 1.9). It also includes all the new and changed syntax and semantics introduced since Ruby 1.8. Learn about the new parameter passing rules, local variable scoping in blocks, fibers, multinationalization, and the new block declaration syntax, among other exciting new features.

Ruby on Rails is the super-productive new way to develop full-featured web applications. With Ruby on Rails, powerful web applications that once took weeks or months to develop can now be produced in a matter of days. If it sounds too good to be true, it isn't. If you're like a lot of web developers, you've probably considered kicking the tires on Rails - the framework of choice for the new generation of Web 2.0 developers. Ruby on Rails: Up and Running takes you out for a test drive and shows you just how fast Ruby on Rails can go. This compact guide teaches you the basics of installing and using both the Ruby scripting language and the Rails framework for the quick development of web applications. Ruby on Rails: Up and Running covers just about everything you need - from making a simple database-backed application to adding elaborate Ajaxian features and all the juicy bits in between. While Rails is praised for its simplicity and speed of development, there are still a few steps to master on the way. More advanced material helps you map data to an imperfect table, traverse complex relationships, and build custom finders. A section on working with Ajax and REST shows you how to exploit the Rails service frameworks to send emails, implement web services, and create dynamic user-centric web pages. The book also explains the essentials of logging to find performance problems and delves into other performance-optimizing techniques. As new web development frameworks go, Ruby on Rails is the talk of the town. And Ruby on Rails: Up and Running can make sure you're in on the discussion.

Although Ruby seemed to just appear out of thin air on the steps of the courthouse on the first day of summer in 1944, no one in Way Down Deep, West Virginia, ever worried too much about where the toddler came from. They figured that if Ruby’s people were dumb enough to lose something as valuable as a child, then that was their problem. So even though Ruby can’t help but wonder where she came from, she has led a joyful and carefree life in Way Down Deep, loved and watched over by Miss Arbutus – proprietor of The Roost, the local boardinghouse – the residents of The Roost, and the rest of the town. But when Ruby is twelve, a new family moves to Way Down Deep, and they inadvertently provide enough clues about Ruby’s past that she is able to find her own people. Ruby travels from Way Down Deep to the top of Yonder Mountain to learn who she really is – only to find that she is bound to Way Down Deep by something even stronger than family ties: love. With a touch of fairy-tale magic and a lot of heart, Ruth White explores just what it is that makes a place truly home.  Way Down Deep is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Although Ruby seemed to just appear out of thin air on the steps of the courthouse on the first day of summer in 1944, no one in Way Down Deep, West Virginia, ever worried too much about where the toddler came from. They figured that if Ruby’s people were dumb enough to lose something as valuable as a child, then that was their problem. So even though Ruby can’t help but wonder where she came from, she has led a joyful and carefree life in Way Down Deep, loved and watched over by Miss Arbutus – proprietor of The Roost, the local boardinghouse – the residents of The Roost, and the rest of the town. But when Ruby is twelve, a new family moves to Way Down Deep, and they inadvertently provide enough clues about Ruby’s past that she is able to find her own people. Ruby travels from Way Down Deep to the top of Yonder Mountain to learn who she really is – only to find that she is bound to Way Down Deep by something even stronger than family ties: love. With a touch of fairy-tale magic and a lot of heart, Ruth White explores just what it is that makes a place truly home.  Way Down Deep is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Would you like to go from first idea to working code much, much faster? Do you currently spend more time satisfying the compiler instead of your clients or end users? Are you frustrated with demanding languages that seem to get in your way, instead of getting the work done? Are you using Rails, and want to dig deeper into the underlying Ruby language? If so, then we've got a language and book for you! Ruby 1.9 is the latest version of Ruby. It has many compelling features, including multinationalization support, new block scoping, and better performance. At the same time, the current Ruby 1.8 is still being maintained and is widely used. We're therefore releasing both the Ruby 1.9 version of the PickAxe (this book) alongside the 1.8 version of the PickAxe. Readers can choose the book that matches their environment. Ruby is a fully object-oriented language, much like the classic object-oriented language, Smalltalk. Like Smalltalk, it is dynamically typed (as opposed to Java or C++), but unlike Smalltalk, Ruby features the same conveniences found in modern scripting languages, making Ruby a favorite tool of intelligent, forward-thinking programmers and the basis for the Rails web framework. This is the reference manual for Ruby, including a description of all the standard library modules, a complete reference to all built-in classes and modules (including all the new and changed methods introduced by Ruby 1.9). It also includes all the new and changed syntax and semantics introduced since Ruby 1.8. Learn about the new parameter passing rules, local variable scoping in blocks, fibers, multinationalization, and the new block declaration syntax, among other exciting new features.

Although Ruby seemed to just appear out of thin air on the steps of the courthouse on the first day of summer in 1944, no one in Way Down Deep, West Virginia, ever worried too much about where the toddler came from. They figured that if Ruby’s people were dumb enough to lose something as valuable as a child, then that was their problem. So even though Ruby can’t help but wonder where she came from, she has led a joyful and carefree life in Way Down Deep, loved and watched over by Miss Arbutus – proprietor of The Roost, the local boardinghouse – the residents of The Roost, and the rest of the town. But when Ruby is twelve, a new family moves to Way Down Deep, and they inadvertently provide enough clues about Ruby’s past that she is able to find her own people. Ruby travels from Way Down Deep to the top of Yonder Mountain to learn who she really is – only to find that she is bound to Way Down Deep by something even stronger than family ties: love. With a touch of fairy-tale magic and a lot of heart, Ruth White explores just what it is that makes a place truly home.  Way Down Deep is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Although Ruby seemed to just appear out of thin air on the steps of the courthouse on the first day of summer in 1944, no one in Way Down Deep, West Virginia, ever worried too much about where the toddler came from. They figured that if Ruby’s people were dumb enough to lose something as valuable as a child, then that was their problem. So even though Ruby can’t help but wonder where she came from, she has led a joyful and carefree life in Way Down Deep, loved and watched over by Miss Arbutus – proprietor of The Roost, the local boardinghouse – the residents of The Roost, and the rest of the town. But when Ruby is twelve, a new family moves to Way Down Deep, and they inadvertently provide enough clues about Ruby’s past that she is able to find her own people. Ruby travels from Way Down Deep to the top of Yonder Mountain to learn who she really is – only to find that she is bound to Way Down Deep by something even stronger than family ties: love. With a touch of fairy-tale magic and a lot of heart, Ruth White explores just what it is that makes a place truly home.  Way Down Deep is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

It’s easy to write correct Ruby code, but to gain the fluency needed to write great Ruby code, you must go beyond syntax and absorb the “Ruby way” of thinking and problem solving. In Eloquent Ruby, Russ Olsen helps you write Ruby like true Rubyists do–so you can leverage its immense, surprising power.   Olsen draws on years of experience internalizing the Ruby culture and teaching Ruby to other programmers. He guides you to the “Ah Ha!” moments when it suddenly becomes clear why Ruby works the way it does, and how you can take advantage of this language’s elegance and expressiveness.   Eloquent Ruby starts small, answering tactical questions focused on a single statement, method, test, or bug. You’ll learn how to write code that actually looks like Ruby (not Java or C#); why Ruby has so many control structures; how to use strings, expressions, and symbols; and what dynamic typing is really good for.   Next, the book addresses bigger questions related to building methods and classes. You’ll discover why Ruby classes contain so many tiny methods, when to use operator overloading, and when to avoid it. Olsen explains how to write Ruby code that writes its own code–and why you’ll want to. He concludes with powerful project-level features and techniques ranging from gems to Domain Specific Languages.   A part of the renowned Addison-Wesley Professional Ruby Series, Eloquent Ruby will help you “put on your Ruby-colored glasses” and get results that make you a true believer.

“Foy is a gifted writer and his descriptions of the philosophies that( impacted the design and implementation of Merb are definitely useful to( everyone affected by the changes in Rails 3.” –Obie Fernandez, Series Editor   The Expert Guide to Building Merb Applications   Thousands of Ruby and Rails developers are discovering the extraordinary scalability, agility, flexibility, and performance offered by the new Merb MVC framework. The Merb Way is the first comprehensive guide to using, extending, and deploying Merb. Like the bestseller The Rails Way (Addison-Wesley, 2008), this book can either be read cover-to-cover as a tutorial or used for modular coverage that makes it an ideal task reference. Foy Savas systematically covers everything developers need to know to build production-quality Merb applications, offering detailed code examples for jumpstarting virtually any project.   Savas is not only involved in the Merb project as an open source contributor: He uses Merb every day as a professional developer. Drawing on his extensive practical expertise, he delves deeply into the Merb framework’s architecture and source code, revealing its elegance and offering powerful best practices for using it. To maximize this book’s practical value, he also covers the tools most widely used alongside Merb, including the DataMapper ORM, the RSpec tester (and associated behavior-driven development techniques), and several leading Merb plugins.   The Merb Way will help you Master Merb innovations that will be incorporated into Rails 3 Understand the fundamentals of Merb development, one step at a time Use Merb’s sophisticated application router to guide incoming requests Explore the Merb stack, master its configuration options, and dive into its internals Use Merb controllers to integrate application code, handle responses, and manage sessions, filters, and exceptions Build templates with both ERB (Erubis) and HAML Use the DataMapper ORM to represent object properties and behaviors Learn best practices for RESTful development with Merb Leverage Helpers to simplify many common development tasks Refactor code, encapsulate it in gems, and share it across multiple applications Customize the responses your application sends to each user Gain a deep, practical understanding of Merb plugins and extensibility Authenticate users with Merb’s modular authentication plugin Configure, generate, describe, and test Merb mailers Use the merb-parts gem to create component-like regions on Web pages Cache content to relieve stress on Web servers Make the most of Behavior Driven Development and testing with RSpec  

Speak directly to your system. With its simple commands, flags, and parameters, a well-formed command-line application is the quickest way to automate a backup, a build, or a deployment and simplify your life. As Ruby pro David Copeland explains, writing a command-line application that is self-documenting, robust, adaptable and forever useful is easier than you might think. Ruby is particularly suited to this task, since it combines high-level abstractions with close to the metal system interaction wrapped up in a concise, readable syntax. Moreover, Ruby has the support of a rich ecosystem of open-source tools and libraries. Ten insightful chapters each explain and demonstrate a command-line best practice. You'll see how to use these tools to elevate the lowliest automation script to a maintainable, polished application. You'll learn how to use free, open source parsers to create user-friendly command-line interfaces as well as command suites. You'll see how to use defaults to keep options simple for everyday users, while giving advanced users options for more complex tasks. There's no reason a command-line application should lack documentation, whether it's part of a help command or a man page; you'll find out when and how to use both. Your journey from command-line novice to pro ends with a look at valuable approaches to testing your apps, and includes some fun techniques for outside-the-box, colorful interfaces that will delight your users. With Ruby, the command line is not dead. Long live the command line.What You Need: All you'll need is Ruby, and the ability to install a few gems along the way. Examples written for Ruby 1.9.2, but 1.8.7 should work just as well.

When the class turns against the new girl, Ruby, a blatant copycat, their teacher finds a way to help Ruby demonstrate her own talents.Al principio, cuando la chica nueva, Ruby, imita a Ángela, ésta se siente halagada. Pero después, cuando Ruby comienza a contar como suyas algunas de las experiencias que Ángela ha vivido, ésta última se molesta. La maestra del salón le enseña a Ruby una gran lección: sus propias experiencias son una mejor manera para hacer amigos. Rathman escribe con una gran sensibilidad sobre la evolución de una amistad entre niñas de primer grado, y exagera sólo lo necesario para darle un toque de humor a la historia.

On the way to school, Ruby experiences a world her mum cannot see. In an old house, she spies bats with red eyes peering out and scary witches that flit about. And these aren't the only dangers on her path: tigers, crocodiles and mighty beasts abound! I must be brave, I must be strong,A chants Ruby as she musters the nerve to scare them off; but will it work? Young readers will love joining this imaginative girl as she faces her fears and learns how to keep them in check. Attractive, accessible storyline about the return to school Alliterative, rhyming text Endpapers show a map of Ruby's walk

The Perfect Ruby begins like a fairytale. It is a fictionalized biographical exploration into consciousness and the power of the imagination to create and re-create our worlds. It starts with the historic breaking away of the Southern continent from the European mainland, and its subsequent search for distinctive identity and consciousness. The transformative journey gives larger symbolic meaning to the life and dreams of Elizabeth, the main character, who grows into womanhood in Australia, before travelling and studying overseas. Her constant search is for answers ... The Philosopher's Stone ... The Perfect Ruby ... A major strength of this story is that it may be read on many levels. Superficially, it is a story of an Australian girl who finds answers through travel, education and love. On another level, it addresses traditional academic and spiritual questions in a way that requires no prior understanding. Dianne Weir has travelled and studied extensively. Born in Australia, she lived in London for 20 years. Publisher's website: http://sbpra.com/DianneWeir

There may be no better way to learn how to program than by dissecting real, representative examples written in your language of choice. Ruby by Example analyzes a series of Ruby scripts, examining how the code works, explaining the concepts it illustrates, and showing how to modify it to suit your needs. Baird's examples demonstrate key features of the language (such as inheritance, encapsulation, higher-order functions, and recursion), while simultaneously solving difficult problems (such as validating XML, creating a bilingual program, and creating command-line interfaces). Each chapter builds upon the previous, and each key concept is highlighted in the margin to make it easier for you to navigate the book.You'll learn how to:Use the interactive Ruby shell (irb) to learn key features of the language Extend Ruby using RubyGems, the Ruby package manager Create numerical utilities, as well as utilities that process and analyze HTML/XML Implement purely functional and metaprogramming techniques to save time and effort Optimize, profile, and test your code to make sure that it not only does its job, but does it well Create web applications using Rails Ruby is the fastest growing programming language today, and for good reason: Its elegant syntax and readable code make for prolific and happy programmers. But it can be difficult to understand and implement without a little help. Ruby by Example shows you how to take advantage of Ruby as you explore Ruby's fundamental concepts in action.